Thursday, November 29, 2012

The Pink Heart Society is pleased to welcome Harlequin Romantic Suspense author Linda Conrad, who will Set the Scene for her latest novella.

Finding unique plots and interesting characters is always a
challenge. Many times I start a new book
or series with a setting instead of the plot, and I always choose a place that
intrigues me. I don’t believe it’s
absolutely necessary to find a unique place, though on occasion that can be fun
too. But my favorite place to set a
series is Texas. Nothing so unique about
that—except when seen through the eyes of the characters.

My newest series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense is called: Chance, Texas and most of the
action in the series is set in that fictional place.

A CHANCE REUNION,
a novella in the Chance, Texas
series, is out now in the anthology: Christmas
Confidential. It’s Gage Chance’s
story but I wanted to take him out of his home territory and put him somewhere
where he could not control the outcome.

And…I wanted to force Gage to face Christmas. Christmas is not his favorite time of year
but I wanted the setting for his story to take place in a ski resort town
during the middle of a snowstorm. That
could not happen anywhere in Texas so I sent Gage to the California mountains.

Here’s what Gage thinks of that at the opening of the book:

That danged statue of a reindeer
sitting on the bar nearby grinned at nothing in particular and blinked its red
nose in perpetual holiday cheer.

Gage Chance didn’t know whether to
ignore the too cute decoration or pull his weapon and blast the miserable
cheery monstrosity right off its perch. Christmas. To quote a smarter man than he would ever be,
“Humbug.”

Downing the last of his
long-neck, Gage dropped a few bills on the bar and slid off the stool. Tired and frustrated, he was done—for the
night—and with this trip.

As for me, I just love the holidays;
the decorations, the scent of pine, the crisp cold air and the familiar music. It all seems like magic. But Gage Chance is definitely not
thrilled. He has a good reason for
disliking the time of year; he lost his beloved wife on Christmas five years
ago. However, this Christmas he will
have no choice.

Here’s the back of the book blurb about his story:

A
CHANCE REUNIONWho
is the mysterious woman who looks so much like his dead wife?
Gage Chance doesn’t know, but he has to find out. And when bullets begin to fly, he’ll risk his
life to save hers and get to the bottom of things. Will the truth be more than he can handle?

So what do you think about the holidays? Do you love it or hate all the fuss? If you love it, what’s your favorite
part? And what do you think of Christmas
stories? Every year I can’t wait for the new ones to arrive. How about you?

Share your answers in the comments section and tomorrow
morning I’ll choose two people to receive an autographed copy of the book!

Congrats on the new release, Linda. I love the holiday season. There's something in the atmosphere that makes you grateful for your family and friends, but of course it's also the season for gift giving.

I love the holidays. I don't find them as busy/stressful as some other times of the year, probably because I pick up things here or there (usually on sale) before December. My favorite part is always visiting with family. Of course, the rye and coke we share isn't too shabby either, LOL (when I'm not the designated driver)!I love Christmas stories all year round. It's never a wrong time to believe in miracles or to share the love....